Car door construction



F. DITCH FIELD CAR DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug.' 26, 1943 '1111111111111' 111111111'. '11,111'. n u'. r

Patented Nov. 7, 1944 l UNITED STATES PATEN CAR Vnoon yooNs'rm'JoTioN i Frank Ditchfeld, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The l Youngstown Steel Door Company,y-Cleveland, Ohio, alcorporation of Ohiol n v Applieanen August 26, 1943, serial Ne. 500,077" ff (o1. 2li-2s) 8 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to car door construction and more particularly to the construction of the upper forward corner of sliding car doors and as#- sociated structure carried by the cars.

o It is an object of this invention to vprovide a construction for the upper forward corner of sliding car doors and for. the car sidel structure associated therewith which shall veffectively improve the weathertightness of the doors at this Cornel'.

A further iobject is to provide a construction forward corner of ajsliding car door and the'ad-v jacentcar side, a portion being broken away to more clearly show' the invention.

Fig. 2'is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one ofthe members embodied in the instant invention.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the member shown' in Fig. 4.

Referring te the drawing wherein apreferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated,` the numeral I designates generally a portion of the side wall of a railway house car adjacentV to the upper forward corner of -a door opening I I formed in said wall. The door opening. is defined in part by means of a side plate I2 which customarily embodies an upstanding flange I 3,.a web I4 and a depending flange I and by means of a front door post I6 shown fragmentarily in Figs.' 2 and 3 of f the drawing. Metallic sheathing I1 is secured to the leg I8 of the door post I6, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.` Also secured to the leg I8 of the door post is a front stop mem'. ber I9 of well known construction embodying an attaching ange 20, van outwardly extending` flange 2l, a forwardly extending flange 22, an

outwardly extending flange 23 and rearwardlyA `The flanges 22, 23, and 24deflne a pocket 25 adapted to re-4 and outwardly inclined flange 24.

ceive the front margin of a slidingcar door 26.

The car door may be of any desired construcvfor accomplishing' the retion but, as illustrated, embodies a, metallic panel 2l formed withaforwardly andoutwardly slop,- ing flange 2,8 which terminates in a flange 29 disposed parallel to the main plane of the door. A front vertical reinforcing 'member 30 is secured to the panel liange 29 and, additionally, to the panelby means of a backing plate 3I fastened thereto inwardly ofthe sloping ang'e '23l and toV the reinforcing member substantially in the main plane offthe panel. The upper horizontal margin ofthe door is reinforced by means of a member 32 shown in the form ofl a' Z-bar and arranged withits web `33 verticaLone flange 34 extending outwardly, and the remaining flange 35 directed inwardly. It is to be understood that an angle member, or any other desired form of ,reinforce-v ment, may be .utilized in place of the Z-bar.

The upper margin of the door is slidably re' o tained upon the car sidebetween a door headerV 36 and a retaining` bar 3l. The door header '36; is substantially in the form of a J-shaped mem#` ber having an upstanding ange y38 secured to the inner face .of the `depending side plate flange4 I5, .anV `outwardlyextending yiiange 39- and an upwardly and outwardly extendingange 40, thereby providing a trough 4I. LThe retaining bar 3,1 isk preferably Z-shaped in section and inl cludesa-vertical attaching flange 42 secured to the outerfaceof the depending side' plate flange I5, an outwardly extending web 43' disposed above the header 36, anda depending vflange 44 disposed outwardly of the flange of the header. The upper margin of the'door is received between the flanges 40 and 4 4, respectively, of the header- 35" and the retaining bar. It willbe apparent from Fig. 3 [of the drawing that the inwardly extend? ber 32extends inwardly above'the header flangev of the door stop and to cut away a portion of the y inwardly extending flange 35 of the door reinforcing member in order to avoid contact'be-` ing flange 35'of` the Z-'shaped reinforcing mem'- 40 so as to overlie'the trough 4I.

Previous to the instant invention it was 'cus-i tomary` to'extend thefront stop I9 continuously from the door track disposed 'belowk the door opening "I I to the underside of the retaining-bar 3l. vBy reason of this construction it was necessary to terminate the header at the flange 2| tween this flangeand flange 2I of the doorstep so as to permit the door to be fully closed.` In view of this construction, a, sizeable opening exe, l isted at the upper front corner of the doorj' through which dust, cinders, rain and. the jlile entered the car.

'I'he instant invention avoids the cutting'VVV 'away "f the ilange 2| ofthe front stop. Asvmore clearly appears from Fig. 2 of the. drawing, it is preferred to remove a portion of the flange 39 of the header, as indicated at 45 and 46so .that the.

flange 39 follows substantially the outer contour of the flanges 2l and 22 of the door-stopzlSiv By means of this construction, .a .portionof the flange 39 and the upwardly extending flange 40 of theheader 3E terminate substantially in line withv the inner face of the ange 23 of the door stop,

as more clearly appears from Fig. 2 of the draw-..

ing.l By. reason of the. described construction, it will. be apparent', as clearly shownin Fig. 2 of the drawing, that the'inwardly extending flange 35 of the door reinforcing member 32" extends continuously and without coping to the forward edge of the door.

To complete. the construction at thefront upper corner of the door and obtain a weather,- tight structure, the instant inventionprovides an angular `closure member 41. preferably angular in psection, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and embodies a flan-ge `48' disposed. at va right angle to the side wall; Theflange 48A extends from the wall of' the car to the depending flange 44I of theretaining bar'3l and .from the web 43 ofthe retainingbar for a substantial. distance downwardlyrbelow the flange 44, as more clearlyappears in Figs. 1 and 2'of the drawing, The closure member also embodies a ilange 49 vof substantially the same ex;

The member 4l isA rent as the Aflange 48 and arranged to abutand.

extend 'along the innerface of the depending.

flange 44 of the retaining bar to the outer face of flange 23 of 'the door pstop. Securement'ofthe angular closure member 41-r`nay be hadby means ofv welding to the wall and to the'lange 23. Thef flange 49" ofthe closure membercarries a relatively short flange'501 which-extends inwardly towardthe wall from thetopoi'theV flange 23' of the'front stop to a point substantially in line with'the upper surfacev of the inwardlyextend'.. ing flange 35 rof the door reinforcingvmember 32.4 The flange 50 thereby terminates below theA web. 43 fof the retaining bar. The ange 5 0 is ,preferably so arranged astospan the space between. the depending flange 44 of the retaining barand; the upstanding flange .40 of the header against- It is preferred, moreover, that.. when the door isin closed position, Ythe inwardly which, .it abuts.

extending ilange 35 andaportioncfthe web .33

of `the door reinforcing member v32 alsoabut-.the-

ilange 50 of theclosure member.

end of the trough 4l` of theheade'r and provides adownspout 5I 'open at its lowerend, whichA communicatesA with the header trough. Accord*- ingly, any dust, cinders, rain and the-like, whichV may ,enterthe header trough, can bedisposedout-A wardlyof the car through the downspout. Also any dust, cinders and the like, which 4may fallr upon the inwardly extending flange'35-gmay .Sim-

.. formed with a door opening, a header having a flange secured to said wall, an outwardly extending flange and an upstanding flange, said flanges `forming atrough, the front end of said trough being open, a iront door stop secured to and along said wall adjacent-to said door opening, said door stop ,terminating at said front end of said header, a door retainer secured to and along said car wall above said header, said retainer having a depending flangespaced outwardly of saidheader and lyingr .above said .door stop, and vvertical closure means extending downwardlyfrom theunderside of said retainer .asubstantial .distance belowsaid header andA cooperating with said wall, front stop andretainer toprovide. a spout communicating with the open .end of saidheader, said means embodying an inwardly extending flangeover` lapping the end of said upstanding flan-ge .of said header and closing the s'pace'between said re. tainer flange and saidupstanding header flange.

2. In arailwayhouse car having a. sidewall formedwith a door opening, a header providing a trough secured to said wall, the 4front end of said trough being open, a front .door stop `secured toV andl along said. wall adjacent` tov saidl doorv opening, said door stop terminatingeat said front end. cf .said header, va, door retainer secured to and alcngsaid car wall abovesaid header, .said retainer having a vdepending flange spaced outwardly of said header and lying above said doorl, stop. .anda` vertically .extending angular closure member having a flangdsecll'red toand extending Vfrom said wallto said, retainer .flange forwardly of said headerand frontstop and aflange. extending partly along` said retainer fiange to said front sto-p, said flanges of said memberextendingga substantialdistancebelow. said retainer and cooperating with said wall, retainer and lirontl stop to pro-vide a spout .having a closed upper end and an open lower endeommunicating with .ther openend of said header.y

3. In a railway house car having a sidewall formed. with a. door, opening, a header. having a flangesecured. to saidv wall, ,anoutwardly extend. ing ,flange ,and an,upstanding` flange,4 said iianges formingv a trough, the [frontendof said trough bengopema front door` stop securedtdand along, said wall-.adjacent tosaiddooronenne. seid-doer; stop ,terminatingatsaidfrontend of saidheader,` a ydoor retainer, secured. toand along saidy car wall, above saidheader land lying above` said door st0p,. said.,'retainer .having a .depending flange spaced, outwardly of.` said headeianda, vertically .extend-.

' ingrangular closure member,- having a fllgesef..

.said member extendingI asubstantial distancefne-y low said retainer andA cooperating with said wall,

retainer andfront stop to `provide a spouthaving a clOsedupper end andanopen lower-end com-A municating v,with thev open end of.` said header,

saidjlatter flange .of. said closure4 ,member .having `said door flange.

, ping the end of said upstanding flange of said header.

4. In a railway house car having a side wall formed with a door opening, a header having a ange secured to said wall, an outwardly extendsaid-door stop terminating at said front end of said header, a door retainer secured to and along l said car wallabove said header, said retainer having a depending flange spaced outwardly of ing flange and an upstanding flange, said flanges forming a trough, the front end of said trough being open, a front door stop secured to and along said wall adjacent to said door opening,said door stop terminating at said front end of said header, a door retainer secured to and along said car wall above said header and lying above said door stop, said retainer having a depending flange spaced outwardly of said header and a vertically extending angular closure member having a flange secured to and extending from said wall to said retainer ange forwardly of said header and front stop and a flange extending partly along said retainer ange to said front stop, said flanges of saidmember extending a substantial distance below said retainer and cooperating with said wall, retainer and front stop to provide a spout having a closed upper end and an open lower end communicating with the open end of said header, said latter flange of said closure member having a ilange extending toward said wall and overlapping the end of said upstanding flange of said header, a sliding door mounted on said car,

y said door having a portion disposed between said header and said retainer ange an inwardly directed flange overlapping said header trough and adapted to abut said last mentioned flange of said closure member, the upper edge of said last mentioned flange of said closure member lying substantially in the planel of the upper surface of 5. In a railway house car having a side wall formed with a door opening, a header providing a trough secured to said wall, the front end of said trough being open, a front door stop secured i to and along ysaid wall adjacent to said door opening, Said door stop terminating at said front end of said header, a door retainer secured to'and along said car Wall above said header, said retainerv having a depending flange spaced outwardly of said header and lying above said door stop, and a vertical closure member extending from said door stop along said retainer fiange and then inwardly from said retainer flange to said wall in spaced relation to said frontend of. said trough and upwardly to the underside of said retainer, said closure member extending a substantial distance below said header.

6. In a railway house car having a side wall formed with a door opening, trough secured to said wall, trough being open, and along said wall a header providing a `ing forwardly from said said header and lying above said door stop, and a vertical closure member extending from said door stop along said retainer flange and then inwardly from said retainer flange to said wall in spaced relation to said front end of said trough and upwardly to the underside of said retainer, said closure member extending a substantial distance below said header, the portion of said closure member extending along said retainer flange carrying a flange extending upwardly from said door vstop and inwardly, said closure flange lying forwardly of said front end of said header.

7. In a railway house car having a side wall formed with a door opening, a header providing a trough secured to said wall, the front end of said trough being open, a front door stop secured to and along said wall adjacent to said door opening,-

saiddoor stop terminating at said front end of said header, a door retainer secured to and along said car-wall above said header, said retainer having a depending flange spacedoutwardly of sa1d header and lying above said door stop, and

a vertical closure member extending from said" door stop along said retainer ilange and then inwardly from said retainer ange to said wall in spaced relation to said front end of said trough land upwardly to the underside of said retainer,

said closure member extending a substantial distrough secured to said wall, the front end of said trough being open, and along said wall ing, said door stop terminating at said front end of said header, a door retainer secured to and along said car wall above said header, said retainer having a depending flan-ge spaced outwardly of said header and lying above said door a front door stop secured to 'stop and a vertical closure member, said closure member having a flange extending upwardly from said door stop and inwardly and lying forwardly of said front end of said header, a` ange extenddoor stop substantially parallel to said retainer flange, and a ilange extending inwardly from said forwardly extending flange to said wall, said last mentioned and forwardly extending closure anges extending downwardly a substantial distance below said header.

FRANK DrrcHr'nimn;

adjacent to said door open- 

